Recent Head Lice Outbreak At Spencer Elementary Has Sent Some 30 To 40 Students Home

Parents Can Receive Assistance From The S-OCS Nurse’s Office

by Michael Stanley

Staff Writer

Ten key steps, issued through Spencer-Owen Community Schools, are aimed at helping parents/guardians rid their child of head lice. (Courtesy Photo) An outbreak of head lice had sent between 30 and 40 students at Spencer Elementary School home early from classes by Thursday afternoon.

Addressed to Wildcat parents/ guardians, SES Principal Donnie Carver drafted a letter that was sent home with each student concerning the recent outbreak.

“This week at Spencer Elementary School we have had between 30 and 40 students go home with head lice,” the letter begins. “This number always peaks with the winter season and students wearing coats and stocking hats. While this is not an abnormal number of students in a school of 750 plus preschool through sixth graders, we did want to make you aware and encourage you to contact the school if your student has it. At the school we check any reported student, their siblings and their classroom with complete confidentiality. If we find a student with nits or live bugs we immediately contact the parent or guardian to have the student picked up from school to begin the treatment process. We are happy to provide and do provide guidance on how to clean the hair and what to look for. We will also provide supplies if a parent or guardian is unable to purchase these. All students who have been sent home with head lice must be rechecked in the morning by the school nurse or staff before they can return to their classroom.

“Some other helpful tips to prevent repeat occurrences are to wash all bed clothes thoroughly, place stuffed animals in trash bags that are tied off and wash the stuffed animals. As we come back from Winter Break on January 2nd we will complete a whole school inspection so that any student affected can get treated and return to school as soon as possible to continue with their studies.”

Carver reaffirmed that sentiment when he spoke to the Spencer Evening World on Thursday morning.

“It was nothing more than what we usually have at this time of the year. Once the coats start coming out in the winter time, it picks up more than during the rest of the year,” Carver said. “It was scattered throughout the building, among all of the grades. When you’re talking 800 kids in the school, on a scale it’s a lot different.”

Carver said the staff at SES is focused on helping to prevent students from missing classes if it can be avoided.

“We know it’s a hardship on the families and we want to help them in being successful in taking care of it. And, of course, we don’t want it to spread to anyone else in the family,” he added. “We want to get it taken care of as soon as possible, especially around this time of the year so the student can be back in school, learning. We encourage parents to not let their children share things like stocking caps and sweatshirts with hoods. If they do get it (head lice), we encourage parents to follow our recommendations for treatment.”

Spencer-Owen Community Schools also reminds parents of the following 10 steps to rid your child of head lice.

1. Do not be ashamed or alarmed. Anyone can get head lice.

2. Use prescription medication from your doctor or use an over-the-counter formula such as Lice Arrest, DeBug or Nix Creme Rinse and a metal-toothed nit comb. Research suggests that use of pesticides can cause serious health risks in some children. The safest formula are non-pesticide products like De-Bug, Lice Arrest and olive oil.

3. Use olive oil. Saturate scalp with olive oil and place a shower cap on scalp for six to eight hours or overnight. Repeat the process every fourth day for three weeks. Use the nit comb to ‘comb out’ all nits and lice possible. Use Dawn dish soap to remove the oil from the hair. Let hair dry (some pesticide products are flammable, so don’t use a blow drier if you use actual pesticide products) and view the dry hair for any nits that may have been missed. ‘Hand pick’ the remaining nits until clear. A bright light will help.

4. Wash all bed linens, recently worn clothing, towels, pillows, hats, gloves, coats and any washable stuffed animals. Place any non-machine washable items in a sealed trash bag for two weeks, or place in headed dryer for 30 minutes.

6. Put combs and hairbrushes in a container and soak for at least 20 minutes in very hot water.

7. Get down right ‘nit picky.’ With your fingers, actually pick out the nits. Use a bright light to help you see the white and dark nits. Sometimes going outside in the bright sunlight will help as well to see the hair more thoroughly.

8. Be patient. Head lice are not dangerous, just a big annoyance. If you follow these suggestions, we hope that you will have success in ridding your child and home of head lice.

9. If you are still having problems with head lice, please contact your school’s nurse. S-OCS has the means available to assist you in getting the shampoo and creme rinse should that be a financial burden to you, as well as a homemaker who is able to go to homes to provide assistance.

10. Our public health nurse is also available at the Owen County Courthouse to assist you in any way possible. Contact 829-5017 to speak with the public health nurse.